


Oh, you fill my lungs with sweetness, And you fill my head with you

by agentlukaofshield (lukadarkwater)



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Academy Era, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Future Fic, Post Maveth, Pregnancy, Sharing Clothes, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, like so much fluff, post framework
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-08 23:44:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11657163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lukadarkwater/pseuds/agentlukaofshield
Summary: She turned to look at him with a sunny smile and only then did she notice his staring.“What?” she asked, “What’s wrong? Do I have something on my face?” With a frown, she reached up and rubbed her cheek.“Um, no, no that’s not it.” he managed, still trying to process.“Then what is it?”“Well, um, it’s just- Isn’t that my cardigan you’re wearing?”---Or Jemma steals Fitz's clothing all the time but Fitz really doesn't mind





	Oh, you fill my lungs with sweetness, And you fill my head with you

The first time she does it, they are just starting to become friends. 

It’s their third week after being paired up in Chemistry and Fitz is slowly getting used to the idea that they are indeed friends at long last. Up until that fateful day three weeks before, he had thought that he and Simmons were doomed to be bitter rivals for the rest of time. While he had desperately wanted to be her friend from the get go, she seemed determined that they stay rivals if only to beat him in every single one of their classes. 

However, now that they were working together on a daily basis, and hanging out doing homework or playing video games in their free time, they had slowly moved on from that and had gradually become friends.

It was a heady feeling. Fitz had never really had a lot of friends growing up. Both his intelligence and his young age due to his skipping of grades had not endeared him to his peers and so he had never gotten close with anyone outside of his mum.

Thus, it was extremely refreshing to spend time around Simmons and learn that she too had felt the isolation that had come with her quick ascent through school and beyond. Not to mention, her skill set complemented his perfectly and he was relieved that, instead of them stepping all over each others toes, they wove around each other seamlessly (both physically and mentally) and even their Professor had commented on the efficiency and quality of the work they were producing. 

Despite the drastic change that had overcome their relationship in the past few weeks, Fitz was still slightly nervous around Simmons. Since he had never really had that many friends before, he was unsure of what the protocol was. Did she consider them to be close friends or just lab partners? Did she want to continue working with him, as he wanted, after their pairing was done? Or, like he feared, would she simply walk away after and return to their rival relationship. 

It wasn’t until he walked into their shared lab one chilly day in February that he finally got an answer to those questions. 

It was usually cold outside and snow had fallen during the night painting the campus at Shield a bright, crisp white. 

Fitz had struggled through the awful weather to make it to class that morning and he was already grumbling by the time he stepped through the door to the lab he shared with Simmons.

Not only had he discovered that one of his shoes had a small hole in the sole, thus leaving him with a very cold and now wet foot, but an upperclassmen on the Quad had missed his friend with a snowball and it had smacked right into Fitz’s head leaving his curls matted with quickly melting snow.

“Bloody weather,” Fitz cursed as he shrugged out of his winter coat and scarf, “I don’t see how they can expect us to turn up to class when it's this cold outside.”

“Fitz,” he could already hear the eye role in Simmons’ voice even though he couldn’t see her, hidden behind one of the lab tables as she was, “It’s not that cold outside. Besides, the snow is simply lovely, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, the snow’s all great and good until bloody Cubbins whacks you about the head with a snowball. I’m going to have to go dry my hair off in the bathroom before it drips onto my papers.”

“That’s why I keep telling you to wear a hat. Then your ears won’t get so cold and you won’t have to worry about that.”

Fitz bent over to run his hand through his hair in an attempt to knock some of the icy water out of it and caught Simmons’ coming around the table out of the corner of his eye. 

“Yeah yeah, I know. But honestly, they just completely flatten my curls and-”

As he looked up in the middle of his sentence, he suddenly forgot what he was saying as he caught a glimpse of Simmons for the first time that day. 

There was nothing actually out of the ordinary about her, anyone who passed by in the hallway would probably wonder why he was staring at her with his mouth still open from where he was speaking. However, to him, she looked frankly alarming.

“Yes, yes,” she muttered, totally oblivious to his state of shock, “I know it crushes down your curls and makes you look like, in your own words, ‘a lop-sided mop’, but honestly, Fitz, it’s either that or have ice in your hair.”

She turned to look at him with a sunny smile and only then did she notice his staring.

“What?” she asked, “What’s wrong? Do I have something on my face?” With a frown, she reached up and rubbed her cheek.

“Um, no, no that’s not it.” he managed, still trying to process.

“Then what is it?”

“Well, um, it’s just- Isn’t that my cardigan you’re wearing?”

Simmons glanced down at the thick blue cardigan she was wearing and nodded.

“Oh, yes! I usually leave mine in here too, you know how this lab can be, but I spilled something on it yesterday so I took it home to wash. I hope you don’t mind me borrowing yours. It was just so cold this morning and you usually wear sweaters anyway so I thought you wouldn't mind.”

“Oh, um no it’s fine,” he blinked.

“Really? You looked quite shocked just now.”

“I just wasn’t expecting it, is all.” 

“Ah, well. That’s what best friends do, right? They share things and help each other out?”

If Fitz had been reeling from shock before, now he was flat out stunned. 

“I’m your best friend?” he said out loud before he could stop himself.

“Well, of course!” All of a sudden, Simmons looked nervous, “I mean, it’s fine if I’m not yours it’s just we’ve been getting along so well these last couple of weeks and I’m sorry if I’m overstepping-”

“No!” Fitz burst out, flinging his arms out in front of him, “No, no of course not! You’re my best friend too I just- we hadn’t really talked about it and-”

“No, I understand. I’ve just never really had someone like you in my life before so I wasn’t sure how to bring it up or even if I should,” Simmons cut off his ramblings, her smile even brighter than it had been before, “But, I’m glad we’re on the same page about that now. I’m sure we’ll just keep getting closer as time passes.”

With that, she reached out and squeezed his arm affectionately before stepping back over to the table to look down at her notes.

“Now then, what do you say we get to work?” she looked up at him, smiling still, and he was struck by the sight of her wrapped up in his cardigan in the lab that they shared. 

“Yeah ‘course,” he agreed, walked over to take his place by her side, “Where do you want to begin?”

 

\----------

 

After he’s succeed in tearing a hole in the universe, and crossed thousands of miles and a raging sandstorm to finally get her back, it was understandable that neither he nor Jemma wanted to be apart from each other very long. She clung to him tightly in those first few days back, never straying far from his side if she could help it. He had woken up on that first night back to find her curled up against him, having left the comfort of the bed just feet away in favor of using his leg as her pillow. The idea that she had abandoned the comfort that she had been benefit of for six months just to be closer to him had made his heart constrict painfully in his chest and he had vowed then and there to be wherever she needed him to be in the coming days and weeks. 

Jemma Simmons had always been one of the strongest people he had ever known and, in the wake of all that had happened, that hadn’t changed one bit. Yet, she had been isolated on an alien planet for six months and that would take a toll on anyone. She was quiet and withdrawn, her body weighed down by the extra gravity, and her eyes, though he knew they longed gaze at the sun, were weakened from the countless days on the dark, cold planet. 

So, he did everything he could to help her. He approached Coulson on the day after the rescue and requested time off to look after her, having left Jemma in her bunk with the promise that he wouldn’t be gone very long. There was really no option but to say yes to him and, as quickly as he could, Fitz was back at Jemma’s side. 

Even in the brief absence however, Jemma had grown agitated and, as soon as he slipped back into her room, she had instantly held out her hand for him to take. Sinking down into the chair by her bed, he had taken it, soaking up the peace that came from her touch. 

“Sorry about that, I tried to come back as quickly as I could,” he offered her a small smile which she did her best to return but he could still see the anxiety that lingered behind her eyes. 

“I’m sorry that you have to watch over me like this. I know I’m keeping you from work-”

“Jemma,” he waited until she met his eyes before continuing, “There is no where else I need to be right now. You are my number one priority.”

Jemma ducked her head again, but she squeezed his fingers softly and he knew that she understood. 

When he finally coaxed into the showers, he had taken the opportunity to get caught up with the team before returning to his own room to grab something. However, as he approached his door, he realized that Jemma was already out of the shower and hovering in front of his room. 

“Jemma,” he said, coming up alongside her, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were already out.”

“It’s okay,” she said in a small voice, “I just finished.”

He reached down and slipped his fingers through hers, the connection grounding both of them in the present, before saying, “Would you like to come in? I just need to pick up something and then we can return to yours.”

Jemma nodded and he opened the door and led her in. She hesitated briefly in the doorway but, at the soft tug of his hand in hers, she followed him in and let the door shut behind her. 

Leaving her to gaze around the room in silence, Fitz dropped her hand and walked over to his desk.

“I was just talking to the others. They’ve contacted Andrew and he should be coming around to talk to you in a couple of days. I know you’ve been through a lot so it’s probably a good idea to talk to a professional about everything and-” As he turned from his desk, he was surprised to find Jemma standing up from where she had been closing the bottom drawer on his dresser. 

In her hands, he recognized one of his hoodies that he’d owned since he was a teenager. It was a simple black hoodie with strings that were all stretched out from years of nervous fidgeting and washing. He hadn’t worn it in years, probably not since they had left left to join the team at least. 

“Is it okay if I wear this?” Jemma asked, her eyes not meeting his as she ran her fingers over the fabric. 

Shallowing past the lump that had formed in his throat, Fitz answered, “Of course you can. You can have it for as long as you want.”

Jemma flashed him a small smile before shrugging it on. It was too big on her, the sleeves dangled down past her fingertips but she didn’t seem to mind. 

Even though Fitz had known since he met her that Jemma Simmons was beautiful, right then, standing in his room in his old ratty hoodie, looking tired and thin from her ordeal on Maveth, she had never seemed more beautiful to him. 

It knocked the breath right out of his lungs and, when she took his hand again, he had to blink a few times before he could say anything. 

“It’s good to have you back, Jemma.” he finally managed. 

Jemma looked up at him, one hand curled around his and the other lost in the folds of his hoodie and said, “It’s good to be home.”

 

\----------

 

After they moved in together at the Playground, Fitz couldn’t help but feel a little leap of joy every time he opened their closet door. He knew he was being more than a little silly, they are, after all, just clothes, but to him it’s more than that. It’s the physical representation of their relationship that he never really thought he would get to see. They’ve lived in the same flat before and on the Bus together but now it’s different. 

Now, he can open up the door and see her shirts next to his and her shoes lined up in the neat row that she insists on at the bottom with his sitting right beside them. It reminds him, on the long days when he doesn’t see her before he goes to sleep that they are together in (almost) every way and he can’t help that it brings a smile to his face every time. 

He doesn’t mention it to Jemma but he thinks she feels the same way, considering the smile she had on her face when they were first moving his things into her room. 

One night, after a very long day in the field, he stumbled off of the Zephyr, aching for that comfort. He’d been out all day long, before the sun had even risen, and he was so exhausted that he thought he was going to fall asleep on his feet before he even made it to their bunk. 

As he nudged open the door to their room, he fully expected to find his girlfriend sound asleep in their bed wearing one of her many sets of matching pajamas sets but, to his surprise, he found that his prediction was only half right. 

Jemma was indeed asleep on their bed, her head buried in his pillow and her body curled up on top of the covers but instead of her usual sleepwear, she was wearing one of his old plaid shirts and a pair of matching light blue panties. 

Fitz couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face as he took her in, his exhaustion aside, and he did his best not to wake her as he gathered his things and slipped out of their room again to use the showers down the hall.

When he returned, Jemma still hadn’t stirred and he sat down softly beside her. It was unusual that he got to see her sleeping fact considering she usually got up earlier than he did or slept with her face pressed against his neck or chest and so he took the opportunity to trace, with his eyes, the familiar planes of her face that had softened with sleep. Reaching out with one hand, he ran his palm softly down her flannel covered back.

Jemma stirred slightly, her nose wrinkling up as she began to slip into consciousness, and he couldn’t resist pressing his lips to her hair.

“Fitz,” she mumbled, or so he assumed given that her voice was slurred from sleep and muffled by the pillow. “Come here,” with one lazy hand, she reached up and attempted to make him lay down beside her.

With a warm chuckle, he did just that even though he was pretty sure that a toddler could have resisted her pull with ease. 

As soon as he was laying beside her, and had pulled the covers up over both of them, Jemma curled into him as much as possible, tucking her head under his chin and wrapping all of her limbs around him like some sort of spider monkey. Fitz just pulled her in closer savoring her sleepy warmth and the soft breaths he could feel hitting his throat. 

He heard Jemma mumble something but couldn’t make it out.

“What was that?” he asked softly, scooting back a bit so he could hear better.

“I said I fell asleep and ruined my plan.”

“And what plan was that?”

“I was supposed to seduce you. You know, wear your old shirt and have you take it off me and all that. But you came back too late.”

Fitz couldn’t hold back a laugh at the idea of Jemma purposefully digging through his old things just to find a shirt with which to seduce him (when she knew perfectly well that just being herself was more than enough for him) and ran his hand up her back again. 

“Well, I appreciate the effort but I’m far too tired to do anything else tonight. Maybe we can reschedule?”

He felt Jemma nod against him, “Yeah that’s probably for the best. But just you wait, Fitz, when I get around to it, it’ll knock your socks off.”

“I’m sure it will or I’d look like a right idiot with only my socks on.”

Jemma groaned and burrowed further into him. 

“Hush. I’m too tired to deal with your awful jokes right now.”

Fitz smiled and pressed his nose into her hair. 

“You do look good in that shirt, though.”

“I know. Why do you think I went to all that effort in the first place?”

 

\----------

 

“Jemma?” Fitz called as he stumbled in through the front door of their house, “Jemma, are you home?”

“I’m up here, Fitz!” he heard her reply from up the stairs and smiled as he set down the bags of groceries on the counter. 

A lot had changed in the couple of years that had passed since they had left Shield for their new consultant positions and Fitz found that he loved their new life. They had moved back to the UK and bought a house in Perthshire, just like Jemma had always wanted. Soon after, they had finally made good on the promise that they had made to each other after coming back from their time in space and had gotten married. It was just a small affair with their families and the team in their yard but Fitz didn’t care. As far as he was concerned, all he needed was Jemma floating down the aisle in a stunning white dress and the matching rings on their fingers to be happy. 

At first, it had been hard to get used to the slow pace of their newly domestic life. Having gone into Shield straight out of school, Fitz had never really experienced any sort of normal life and so the sudden change was a bit startling. However, as time went by, they had both settled into their new life and Fitz knew that he wouldn't trade it for anything.

Especially, he thought, as he sought out his wife, not now. 

He found Jemma in exactly the place he thought he would, folding up clothing in the bedroom that was opposite theirs. 

The late afternoon sun filtered in through the oak tree that stood behind their house and painted her hair a soft, glowing gold. Even as he watched, her hands folded the tiny clothes she was holding neatly before she placed them on top of each other on the stacks around her. 

The decision to have a baby had been, in the end, easier than Fitz had thought it would be. Jemma had desperately wanted one and Fitz couldn’t deny that the idea of having a child with her was something he also longed for. It had taken a while though, to work through the fear and doubt that his father had instilled in him and there were still times when they roared so fiercely in his chest that he felt he couldn’t breath. 

It was during those times that Jemma would run her fingers through his hair and reassure him that he was going to be no less than an excellent father to their children. He would, in turn, wrap his arms around her and let her words soak into him, clinging to the sincerity in her voice and the confidence in her eyes. So, when the test came back positive after a few months of trying, he knew that this was something he wanted with his whole heart. 

Now, Jemma was several months pregnant and he could see the round swell of her belly curving gently under her shirt as she sat. As his eyes roved over her, another sight brought a broad smile to his face and he couldn’t keep silent any longer.

“I do believe that is my cardigan you’re wearing, thief.”

Jemma didn’t turn to look at him right away but the smile on her face gave her away. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. This cardigan has been in my possession since our first year at the Academy.”

“Only because you stole it from me and then kept stealing it from me ever since.”

Jemma shrugged, finally turning to look at him. “Same difference.”

Fitz sighed, “What am I going to do with you?”

“Well, you could help me up for one.” Jemma said, holding her hands out towards him. 

He yielded immediately, stepping over her carefully folded piles to take her hands and help pull her to her feet. 

She gave a groan as gravity worked against her before she stood up fully and faced him, her hands on her hips to help support her belly.

“Besides,” she said, a glint in her eye, “This has always looked better on me anyway.”

Fitz couldn’t help but privately agree as he took her in. How amazing was it that, after all of these years, she stood before him with his ring on her finger, pregnant with his child, and his ratty old cardigan around her shoulders in the house that they shared. It was nothing sort of a miracle and he couldn’t help but feel like the luckiest man in the world. 

Reaching out for her, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him as best he could with her belly as swollen as it was. Jemma leaned into him, humming softly as one of his hands went to her lower back and began rubbing away at the knots that he knew existed there. 

“Yeah, you do. Though I’m pretty sure the boy that first saw you wearing this would keel over if he knew where we ended up today.”

Jemma laughed, “Oh yeah?”

“Of course. That boy couldn’t even believe that you and him were friends. All of this would have been simply too much for him to handle.”

Jemma pulled back so that she could cup one hand around his face. “I knew, even back then, I knew that we’d get here someday. Maybe not in quite this way but... “ she smiled, “I much prefer this version of things.”

Fitz couldn’t help but kiss her then, leaning in to press his lips firmly against hers and smiling as she instantly returned the kiss. His hands pressed into his old cardigan as he held her close and he couldn’t help but feel an incredible sense of peace wash over him. Even after all that they had been through they were still here, together, and that was more than he could have ever have hoped for. 

As he drew the kiss to a close, he leaned his forehead against hers, not ready for her to go too far away from him just yet.

“I love you,” Fitz said, the words hardly a whisper between them, “Even if you always steal my clothes.”

“You love it,” Jemma said, as confident as he’d ever heard her.

“Yes,” he admitted, “I always have and I always will.”

**Author's Note:**

> So I've had the idea of this fic for several months but only just had the time to write it. When I saw that one of the Fitzsimmons network prompts this month was comfort, I knew that I should just made myself write it before it rattled around in my head for another couple months. 
> 
> So yeah. I love the idea that Jemma just steals all of Fitz's clothes and he (not so) secretly loves it.


End file.
